Metabolism is the biochemical process that changes the food you put into your mouth into nutrients your body can absorb or waste products that it excretes. Metabolism, for example, controls the rate at which you burn fat, a critical concern for those interested in losing weight.

Fingerprints set each individual apart from the others. People have one other characteristic that makes them unique: their metabolism. Even children within the same family have different biochemical makeups, creating distinct differences in their nutritional needs.

People generally fall into two categories: they are either fast or slow metabolizers.

Each type of metabolism has advantages and disadvantages. One type is not necessarily better than the other. Very slow and very fast are actually the two worst metabolic conditions. Here the golden mean is the best. The goal is to become the fastest slow metabolizer or the slowest fast metabolizer. (If you readily understood that, take a drive on north Loop 10 west in Houston!)

Approximately 80 percent of Americans are slow metabolizers, so that’s a good guess that’s what you are if you’re trying to figure out your type. But you cannot tell a person’s metabolic rate merely by looking at them. Contrary to popular belief, some of the fastest metabolizers are obese!

However, there are telltale visual signs that distinguish fast from slow metabolizers. They appear depending upon the degree of trace element imbalances, the depth of endocrine activity or inactivity and the tenacity of the disturbance.

It is possible to change the body chemistry and step up the metabolic process from slow to fast or fast to slow. But personality changes almost always accompany a change in metabolism. A person must be willing to go through the personality reversals that are by-products of the new body chemistry.

Researchers can spot these guys a mile away when looking at their tissue mineral analysis. Their calcium and magnesium levels are below normal, while their sodium and potassium levels are above the ideal. Phosphorus may or may not be elevated.

Fast metabolizers also sweat readily. They are always feeling "hot." Their thyroid and adrenal glands work overtime, accelerating cellular metabolic activity. One by-product of this increased work load is heat. That’s why they can start sweating even while they are doing very little physical labor. Eating a meal can find them drenched.

Fast metabolizers are typically cerebral sorts who are intellectually oriented. Oftentimes their mental activity is undirected; they often jump from subject to subject. You know one: they start several projects at once, even though it is near impossible to finish them all on time. They wait until the last minute to meet deadlines. More often than not, they are late for appointments, even though they had every intention of being on time. Cardiologists have labeled this breed "Type A."

Fast metabolizers tend to be hyperactive; they often have a hard time sitting still. If their metabolism rate reaches Mach speed, they become easily agitated. These people gravitate toward stressful situations; I call them stressaholics.

Fast metabolizers generally have a big ego. They like to be the center of attention. They feel this is appropriate, because they believe they are terribly important. Being late is one way of drawing attention to himself/herself and increasing his/her sense of importance.

Because they view themselves as competent and capable, fast metabolizers believe their work is critically important. There is no one who can do their job; they are irreplaceable, in their view. They can never find time for a vacation because work is the driving force of their lives. Taking time off to sit on a beach in Aruba would seem boring and senseless. When fast metabolizers have a biochemical imbalance, they have a difficult time delegating duties.

Fast metabolizers are difficult to work for and live with. They demand perfection from all those around them. They, however, do not have the chemical makeup to have the patience required to do a perfect job.

These folks generally refuse to waste time at social gatherings unless they can dominate the group by being the center of attention. Since they consider themselves the most important person at the party, they will talk incessantly without letting any other guests get a word in edgewise. Their conversations tend to be both fascinating and crass.

But they use their loquaciousness to cover up their feelings of shyness and inadequacy. Being on the fast track also helps them avoid introspection or having to admit they are inadequate. They also have great difficulties planning for the future. If they look too far ahead, they become anxious about their prospects.

Fast metabolizers have few friends, but many acquaintances. Because they are so open about their lives, they can be threatening to others.

They frequently develop addictive personality traits. They tend to be nervous and irritable. They are prone to substance abuse. High blood pressure is typical.

Many of these character traits can be traced to hyperglycemia. When their blood sugar elevates, it can cause euphoria. They also can become sensitive to noise, develop fine muscle tremors or cramps and have difficulty falling asleep easily. Their metabolism increases their susceptibility to cardiovascular disease, arthritis, histamine allergies and peptic ulcers.

Their endocrine glands cause them to gain weight in the abdomen and torso without much weight gain in the arms and legs. Doctors call this kind of fat deposition "central obesity."

Several factors cause a person to become a fast metabolizer. Quite often children inherit their metabolic patterns from their parents. However, almost all children are born with a fast metabolism. This is Mother Nature’s way of ensuring they have the resources for a constant and quick growth rate.

However, a family’s eating habits will cement that fast rate or slow it considerably, making it a permanent feature of their offspring’s biochemistry. Most teenagers share their parents’ trace element patterns.

Genetic similarity, combined with similar environmental influences, help explain how certain health conditions are passed from one generation to the next. Children with the same mineral patterns as their parents will be predisposed to similar health conditions and personality traits.

Stress is another major player. A stressful lifestyle increases the metabolic rate. Stress causes the body to retain the minerals that stimulate and excite, while losing the nutrients to quiet and sedate.

If a fast metabolizer experiences a period of prolonged stress, the results can be disastrous. A vicious cycle results, as the body slowly loses its ability to calm itself through sedative minerals.

Approximately 80 percent of the American population are slow metabolizers. They are a mirror image of their hurry-up counterparts. Unlike fast metabolizers, their calcium and magnesium levels are much higher in relation to phosphorus, sodium and potassium. Their parathyroid and adrenal hormones work overtime, increasing insulin production and slowing down cellular activity. Sedative minerals also accumulate. Even their deep tendon reflexes are sluggish.

The slow metabolizer has a tendency to gain weight in the hips and thighs, creating a pear shaped silhouette. (Look at me!)

Slow metabolizers generally have low blood pressure.

They frequently develop postural hypotension, a condition which causes the blood pressure to drop when getting up from a lying or sitting position. If the adrenal glands cannot react fast enough to the changing situation, the slow metabolizer will feel dizzy. Their heart rates also tends to be slow, but can be punctuated with intermittent periods of rapid heartbeats.

Slow metabolizers tire easily, thanks to their slow glandular activity. The poky glands can also retard circulation, resulting in a reduced blood flow to the extremities. Slow metabolizers also suffer from low body temperature. This increases their sensitivity to cold, which they notice immediately in their hands and feet. (Better wear socks if you’re going to get in bed with me on a cold night. Talk about ice cold feet!)

These metabolizers also may develop Type II insomnia, a serious malady which can destroy top performance. They can fall asleep easily, but awaken frequently throughout the night. They wake up feeling tired, even after they’ve been asleep 12 hours. This restless sleep contributes to their constant fatigue.

Ironically, they develop this trouble because they don’t have enough energy to sleep fitfully and well. Restful sleep requires energy to reach the stage of rejuvenating rest that is characterized by rapid eye movement (REM). Insomniacs wake up so frequently that their bodies cannot reach the REM state.

Increased insulin levels can contribute to hypoglycemia (low blood sugar), which also is associated with fatigue. Depression frequently accompanies the fatigue. Increased calcium stores can deepen this depression.

People with slow metabolism perform like the perfectionists the fast metabolizers would like to be. They have the ability to follow a complicated project through to completion.

Emotionally, they face major hurdles expressing their deeper emotions. They may suffer from low self-esteem and feelings of inferiority. I have noticed emotions are closely related to our body chemistry. How we feel about ourselves, our colleagues and loved ones, as well as the world around us, can be translated into chemical equations. As drug addicts know so well, people can alter their emotions and replace them with others by simply changing their body chemistry.

Energy levels have a profound effect on our emotions. The higher our energy level, the more positive, optimistic and self-assured we become. If our energy stores are low, we become depressed and pessimistic. This happens frequently to slow metabolizers.

Genetics play a major role in metabolic rate. But eating habits also occupy center stage in controlling that rate. People who live on sugar or have a high fat diet generally have a depressed metabolic rate. Vegetarians also have a slow metabolic rate.

A viral infection will also reduce cellular activity. If the infection is vicious enough, it has the strength to convert a fast metabolizer into a slow one as a byproduct of suppressing the invader. The fast metabolizer feels a debilitating "burn out" in the process. Yeast and fungus infections also reduce the metabolic rate.

But there are easier ways to speed up the metabolism! Here’s how.

Continued in Chapter 4.

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How To Use The TMA To Achieve Everlasting Health!

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How To Stop Or Slow Down Hair Loss!

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How To Prevent Osteoporosis... Naturally.

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